Stay With Me
by IntuitiveIntelligence
Summary: Determined to set the record straight before she leaves, Sarah recounts the tale of her true love to her only daughter Kate. JS, SOC.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This idea for this story would not go away no matter how much I tried to focus on anything else. Thus, unable to deny my inner muse, I present you with this story. I hope this is a slightly different Labyrinth story, and that it pleases you all as much as Jareth's pants seem to do. Please review! Thanks.

Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth or the characters created there in by the Jim Henson company. I do however own this plot and the characters that you do not recognize from the movie.

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**Stay With Me:** _Chapter One_

The gentle tinkling sounds of a music box soared through the room, eliciting a smile from the woman perched in front of her vanity. Pale white hands worked a brush through long dark hair streaked with gray before finally resting the silver plated object on the surface of the vanity. Reaching forward, she grabbed a crystal perfume bottle and sprayed a little on her pulse points. She exhaled deeply, her fingers closing around the delicate silver crescent pendant hanging just above the neckline of her black shirt as if searching for strength.

"Mom? Mom are you home?" Called a woman's melodic voice from downstairs.

"I'll be down in a moment, Kate."

Staring into the mirror one last time, Sarah Williams-Llewlyn smoothed her shirt. Rising, she slowly strode to the large ornately carved chest at the foot of her bed, and placed the music box which had stopped playing its serene melody back amongst the rest of the contents. Locking the chest with a large antique brass key in her pocket, she headed downstairs to greet her daughter.

"Sorry sweetheart, I was just finishing up something." Sarah said embracing her only child.

"Don't worry about it, after all I'm a wee bit early."

Kate, like Sarah, was tall with a slender but curvy body and long hair. The major difference between them, was that Kate had long rusty colored hair and gray blue eyes where as Sarah was dark headed with green orbs.

"How was the drive?" Sarah asked as she put her daughter's pea coat away in the hall closet.

"A little hectic, but not that bad considering. I hope Thomas doesn't get stuck in the traffic though, especially with Connor in the car."

"I'm sure they'll be fine, would you care for some tea?"

Kate sighed with relief and nodded, following her mother into the spacious kitchen. Kate had always loved this kitchen, it always smelled like home and felt cozier than most of the other rooms in the old colonial.

"Let's see I have plain black, green tea, raspberry and chamomile, which would you like?" Sarah said rifling through a box on the counter full of tea bags.

"Chamomile sounds good right about now," Kate responded sinking into the stool at the island.

Sarah pressed a kiss to the top of Kate's head wrapping her arms around her daughter and resting her head on the top of hers.

"Stressful day at work?"

"Something like that, I just am a little worried, I guess…"

"Worried? About what?" Sarah said pulling away to look her daughter in the eyes.

"I shouldn't really talk about it…"

"Nonsense, I'm your mother, you can tell me anything."

"Thomas and I have been having some money troubles, he just got a pay cut at work and I'm working all the time. Then there is the matter of Connor's day care expenses and hiring a sitter if we work over time, our mortgage is still due… its all just falling down around me and its taking its toll on Thomas and myself."

Sarah stared at her daughter, pushing her coppery hair from her face as she soothingly stroked her cheek.

"Kate, you listen to me, don't worry about anything. I'll always be here to help you, no matter what. And Thomas loves you; he'd do anything for you if you asked it of him. That kind of love is rare, and you hold on to it for as long as you can." While she spoke, Sarah got a far away look to her eyes.

"You miss Dad don't you?" Kate said sniffing slightly.

Sarah tensed, snapping back to reality as she stared at her daughter.

'_How could Kate possibly know, I never told her the truth of anything, so Kate would only assume I was speaking of Nicholas.'_ Sarah thought her hand straying to the chain around her neck.

"Of course I miss your father, Kate…" Sarah said moving away from her daughter to move the kettle off the burner.

"It has been a year Mom, almost to the day. I just wanted to make sure you were ok. You live in this big house all by yourself, and I know you are stubborn and will never admit to being lonely… I worry about you."

"Well don't worry. And yes, I do get cabin fever sometimes which is why I decided something."

"Yes?" Kate said looking up from the steaming mug her mother set in front of her.

"I think I'm going to go on a vacation of sorts, see the world and the like."

"Wow, this is a surprise, how long have you been planning this?"

'_For twenty or so years…' _Sarah thought.

"Just since your father passed. I was thinking about how life is short, and we never know what moment may be our last. So we should live it to the fullest, or something. One of my dreams has always been to explore…see places I've only dreamt about. So I thought, no time like the present."

"This is a bit of a shock still, do you know when you want to leave? I mean this is going to take some planning, talking to travel agents and the like—" Kate listed before Sarah cut her off.

"I'm leaving tomorrow. Everything is all set."

"Tomorrow? Mom, that's a lot sooner than I expected."

"Honey, I've been waiting for this a long time." Sarah said her voice almost breaking, but she hid it well from her daughter.

"Well I guess at least, Connor will get to say goodbye to his Grandma before you leave. He's gonna miss you, you know. Apparently nobody tells bedtime stories like you."

"When you remind me that I'm a grandmother, I feel exceedingly old."

"Mom, fifty-two is not old. They are saying fifty is the new forty now…"

"That makes me feel a _whole_ lot better, really. And I suppose they are also saying gray streaks and expanding hips are in also?"

"No…those are _way_ out." Kate replied with a smirk which earned her a playful swat from her mother.

"Well are you going to help me start dinner or not?" Sarah said finally with her hands on her hips taking a firm stance, she learned long ago.

"I guess, since you asked so nicely."

Several hours later, they had the table set and the majority of dinner cooked, a nice roast with fresh mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and a warm apple pie for dessert. Just as Sarah was untying the gingham apron she wore when cooking, the doorbell rang, echoing throughout the house.

"Ah that must be Thomas and Connor, I'll let them in." Kate called from the dining room where she was busy lighting candles.

Kate's hair swung back and forth as she walked, pulled into a sleek business like ponytail that she utilized to keep her hair from falling into the pie filling earlier. She wiped her hands on her black trousers before opening the door to see a tall man with short white blonde hair in a sweater and slacks holding a miniature version of himself in his arms.

"Mommy!" Connor cried throwing himself around her legs and begging to be lifted into her arms.

"Hello sweetie, did you have a good day today?" Kate murmured into his ear.

"I drew a picture of an airplane, and Ms. Elderslie said it was the best drawing of an airplane she'd ever seen!" Connor beamed.

"It is quite good, I think our son may be the next DaVinci." Thomas said holding out the drawing in question.

For a four year old, it might have been the equivalent of DaVinci, but the blue blob that was the air plane still wasn't quite practiced enough to be called a work of art. Putting Connor down, she reached up to kiss her husband full on the mouth. Thomas wrapped his arms around her, smiling into the kiss. Kate had been touchy around him lately, but to have her like this made him think everything was back to normal. They broke apart when they heard a squeal of glee as Connor discovered his grandmother.

"Gwandma!!" He shouted flinging himself into her awaiting arms.

"Oh, there's my favorite little boy. I missed you so much." Sarah kissed his chubby cheek and squeezed him tight.

Connor was perhaps one of the most adorable boys she had ever seen, and that wasn't just her grandmotherly pride talking. With fine blond hair, and bright blue eyes he was a perfect combination of Kate and Thomas.

"Now, Sarah, squeezing the life out of my son isn't allowed." Thomas said wandering into the kitchen with Kate in tow.

"Oh pish-posh, I'll do what I like. Its good to see you too Thomas." Sarah said coming forward to give him a hug as well.

"Now are you all ready to eat? Because I think I might have made an apple pie…"

"Oh boy, Gwandma!" Connor said hopping up and down in excitement before rushing into the dining room.

"You were never that excited about my pie as a child."

"Yes, well I got it all the time. Its different when it's a rare treat." Kate replied.

"Absence does make the heart grow fonder, or so they say." Thomas chimed in as he helped his son into the seat at the table.

'_Too true._' Sarah thought before heading into the kitchen to bring out the food.

Dinner was a jovial affair, with Sarah as the matriarch presiding over her small family. Yet Kate couldn't help but notice the distant look her mother would get in her eyes when Thomas would say something romantic, or oddly when Kate talked about her new peach scented shampoo.

"Mom, you look tired. Maybe you should get some sleep if you are traveling tomorrow." Kate said reaching over to squeeze her mother's hand.

"Oh, sorry. Yes, I suppose I am quite tired."

"Traveling? Where are you headed?" Thomas said through a mouthful of pie.

"Kate would you explain it to him, I think the day has caught up with me." Sarah said kissing the top of Connor's head before disappearing from the room.

"Mom's going on a trip around the world, help her to get out of this house I guess. She's decided to leave tomorrow. I kinda wish we had more warning, but I worry about how she is now that Dad's gone. He was the love of her life, you know." Kate said with a sad sort of smile.

From outside the dining room, Sarah listened to her daughter and felt guilt wrench up in her stomach. Kate was so far from the truth, and she had no idea how it pained her. Resolved, to set the record straight, she headed up to her room. Sarah would have a bit of writing to do before she left, and she doubted sleep would come easy that night.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: This is the second chapter, of the story where we actually start to get into the plot a bit. Thank you to my two reviewers: Anij and Kyaku-kun. And for those of you who read but didn't review, maybe you'd like to for this chapter? Suggestions are welcome.

Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth or the characters created there in by the Jim Henson Company. I do however own the plot and the characters not included in the movie and book.

**Stay With Me:** _Chapter Two_

"Have you got everything?" Kate asked as she watched her mother trod down the stairs holding one very packed suitcase.

"I believe so, at least everything that matters." Sarah said with a sigh as she dropped the heavy suitcase on to the floor at the foot of the stairs.

"Thomas's still trying to get Connor dressed. He acts like an outright goblin sometimes…" Kate said when Sarah raised a brow at the whining coming from the guestroom.

"Well, might as well get started on getting some breakfast in you all." She responded hurrying from the hallway into the kitchen.

Kate stared after her mother, who seemed to be a bit nervous. Sarah Llewlyn was not by any means a woman prone to bouts of anxiety; in fact she was one of the strongest women Kate ever knew. So why her mother was trembling and biting her lip, Kate couldn't figure out; unless of course, she was just nervous on going on a trip to somewhere far away by herself. Kate satisfied that she had figured out her mother's predicament followed her into the kitchen to lend her a hand.

"Kate sweetie, what does Connor eat these days?"

"Believe it or not, he loves berries. Wants them for breakfast almost every day….if you don't have any don't worry about it."

"Nonsense, if my grandson desires berries he's getting berries." Sarah paused in front of the fridge for a moment, holding her pendant, before she pulled it open to find almost every kind of berry imaginable waiting for her neatly on the shelf.

"Well, like Grandmother, like grandchild." Kate stared incredulously.

How on Earth did her mother have blueberries? It wasn't even blueberry season, and yet she had a whole bowl full of them, and they looked like they were the juiciest blueberries she'd ever seen.

"And what about you and Thomas? I can whip you up some omelets, or regular eggs? I can do toast, English muffins, we still have some pie left…" Sarah prattled on and on but Kate wasn't really listening to anything her mother was saying as she talked into the fridge pulling out random ingredients and piling them on to the island.

"An omelet will be fine." Kate said finally, trying to stop her mother's frantic and nervous movements.

"That's it… next time its your turn to get him dressed." Thomas said as he walked into the room, nearly being bowled over by a running Connor.

"Gwandma, are you leaving today?" Connor said scrambling into his chair to pick at his plate of blueberries and raspberries.

"I am little one…" Sarah said ruffling his hair as she passed by him to hand a plate of eggs to both Thomas and Kate.

Thomas had begun eating his food, and reprimanding Connor when he began to play with his meal.

"Mom, aren't you going to eat?"

"Oh no, I couldn't possibly."

"Sarah, if you are going to be on a plane that long you might want to eat something, after all airline food isn't exactly gourmet."

"I'm fine. Besides, I don't have the metabolism that I used to." Sarah said gesturing to her torso.

"Nonsense…You look great. If I wasn't married to your daughter, I'd ask you to dinner." Tom said with a wink.

"I know you are just trying to cheer my mother up, but in the future can you not say things like that in my presence." Kate said with a mock shudder for which she earned a playful smack from Sarah.

"You finish up down here; I just need to take care of one more thing upstairs while I still remember."

When Sarah disappeared up the stairs, Kate took the opportunity to dump some of her thoughts on to her unsuspecting husband sitting next to her.

"She's up to something."

"Yes, she's going around the world. I'd consider that something."

"No I mean she's acting oddly."

"Is she? I hadn't noticed." Thomas said continuing to shovel eggs into his mouth.

A few minutes later Sarah came bounding back down the stairs, in an entirely different outfit. She had replaced her well worn jeans and turtleneck with a smart looking cream suit with a black silk shirt underneath and matching black pumps.

"Wow, Mom."

"Gwandma you look pwetty." Connor said with his mouth covered in berry juice.

"Well, I figured I better look nice on the flight. I need to make a good impression right?" Sarah said with a smile before kissing Connor on the top of his head and wiping his face with the napkin next to him.

"What time is it?" Kate asked glancing around trying to find a clock.

"Quarter to nine I believe. Which means I have to leave, or I'm going to be late. Kate, I hate to leave you with a bunch of dishes…"

"Go, go don't worry. I'll clean up."

Sarah gave Thomas a hug with a tight squeeze and a reassuring pat on the shoulder before she bent down to pick up Connor and cover him in kisses which made him giggle and she whispered into his ear.

"Connor, you know if you ever need your…Grandma, all you need to do is call me. And no matter where I am, or where you are, I'll come to you."

Sarah tucked his blonde hair back behind his ear, before standing and smoothing her suit to look at her daughter. Kate smiled before being crushed in a hug from her mother. She suddenly felt like she did when she was four, and her mom returned home from visiting Uncle Toby. She had rushed over to her in the same way and hugged her to death.

"Well, this is goodbye for now." Sarah said hesitantly while looking over her house.

"I'll carry your bags out to the car." Thomas offered picking up the heavy suitcase and disappearing out the front door towards the garage.

Sarah followed him, and thanked him as he shut the trunk to her black sedan.

"Be good. If you aren't I'll know about it. I love you." Sarah said to them, with tears prickling at the corners of her eyes as she got into the car and drove off down the road.

Kate watched the black sedan until she could see it no longer, before heading back into the house. Thomas had gone into their room to pack up their things from the night before, while Kate went into the kitchen to wash the dishes.

She picked up their breakfast things and was nearly through putting them all away when she took note of a yellow piece of elegant writing paper sitting on the counter. Her eyes were drawn to it, after all it was addressed to her.

_Dear Kate,_

_I wrote this down in case I forgot to mention it at breakfast this morning. There are a few boxes in my room that I packed up, just old things that I don't have use for anymore. I was wondering if you got a chance, could you put them up in the attic for me? _

_Also, the flowering plants in the kitchen need to be watered once a day. Please don't kill my babies, I know what happened to the fern in your house. _

_I love you and am probably missing you already,_

_Mom._

Kate picked up the note and folded it slipping it into her pocket for later. Leaving the kitchen, she sought out her husband. She found Thomas playing with his wedding ring, sliding it on and off his finger as he talked on his cell phone while sitting on the bed. She couldn't hear what he was saying as he was talking in hushed tones and it made her uneasy. Shaking the unpleasant thought from her mind, she went down the hall to where her son was playing with a toy fire truck.

"Mommy…is Gwandma going to be back for dinner?"

"No, baby. Gwandma is on a trip, she'll be back in a few months."

"Oh ok." Connor said contented with himself before going back to moving his piece of plastic across the wooden floor.

Kate smiled down at him and turned quickly walking directly into her husband.

"Whoa there…" He said reaching out to steady her.

"You startled me."

"I'm sorry. Listen, I've got our stuff packed up. So I can drop Connor off at daycare. I need to head into work, some file is lost and apparently I'm the last one to have seen it."

"But its Saturday…"

"Yes, I realize this. Trust me, I don't want to be working on a Saturday. But if I don't go in, they might fire me."

"Then by all means go, Mom needed me to do a few things around the house. So I'll see you later." Kate said tight lipped.

Thomas bent down and gave her a quick peck on the lips before gathering up Connor and heading out to the car. Kate stood staring blankly ahead at the wall. It wasn't anything to worry about, she was just being silly.

Heading up the stairs, she made her way into her mother's bedroom. The sunlight streamed in through the windows falling on the impeccably clean room and perfectly made bed. Sitting in the middle of the room was an ornate chest, one she could remember her mother having since she was little and atop it was a rather thick envelope with her name scrawled on it. Wondering why the hell her mother left her so many god damn notes, when she could have just as easily told her the same thing, she reached down to pick it up. She opened the envelope and pulled out a very thick stack of paper writing on both the front and back in her mother's neat scrawl.

_Dear Kate,_

_This isn't easy for me to write. But understand that I had to let you know. You may not be happy with everything I have to say, but know that if I didn't say it I'd be lying to you. And I can't lie anymore. Last night you asked me if I missed your father, know that I do and I loved him very much. However, he was not the man that owned my heart. _

Kate stopped reading, her hands trembling as she held the note away from her. It couldn't be, her mother couldn't be telling her what she thought she was telling her. Her mother and her father were always so in love with each other, and her mother never would do anything to hurt him. Taking a deep breath she looked down to read on.

_My heart was lost to me when I was fifteen. Though I hardly knew it at the time, I had met the man who would occupy my every thought, every hope, wish and dream for the rest of my life. In the envelope you will find a key, the key opens the chest at the foot of my bed. In the chest there is a book, bound in red leather with gold lettering. It is Labyrinth_, _and that book is my story. In a moment of stupidity and frustration I wished away your Uncle Toby, to the Goblin King. And doing as I asked he took him from me. Toby was just a baby, and I didn't really mean it, so I had to get him back. The Goblin King challenged me to complete his labyrinth in 13 hours, or he would have turned your Uncle into a goblin. I won, I beat the Goblin King. But he, Jareth, won my heart. My friend, Hoggle once said to me, "Even if you get to the center of the labyrinth, you will never leave it." And he was right, of course. I never left it, I couldn't, it was a part of me._

_Read the novel Kate, but do not speak the words allowed. Words have a greater power than you can ever know._

Kate's mouth had fallen open, either her mother was telling the truth and had lived a life that Kate never knew of, or she had gone crazy. There was only one way to find out however, so picking up the envelope she shook it out over the bed, causing a brass key to fall onto the bedspread.

Kate's hands nervously hovered over the piece of metal before picking it up and inserting it into the lock on the chest, causing it to pop open. Slowly, she lifted the lid, light infiltrating the shadow of the box. Then just as her mother described to her, she saw it, Labyrinth loomed up at her, along with a variety of other objects, she could only guess the stories behind. The leather binding felt cold against her skin and she stared at it in awe for a moment before opening it and beginning to read:

_"Once upon a time there was a beautiful young woman whose stepmother always made her stay with the baby. The baby was a spoiled child who wanted everything for himself, and the young woman was practically a slave girl. But what no one knew was this: the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with her, and given her certain powers." _

**More to come soon…. Please take the time out to review.**


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